Young mums' tips: how to keep your studies going

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Young mums who've done it all, having a baby and continuing their education, are here to inspire you! Read their tips for success.

"I left college when I was 12 weeks pregnant and had just completed my A levels. My plan was to go to uni. But with the pregnancy on my mind I didn't get the best results. My dream is to be a midwife. Now I plan to take a couple of years out and resume my studies via an access course."
Nat

"If I could have completed all my work before I got pregnant, I would have done. Not that I would change my baby girl for the world! Having a baby doesn't have to ruin your plans unless you let it, but it does make it a lot harder."
Alyce

"I managed to do my A Levels when my baby was two months old (and passed!). Although I was offered two places at university, I didn't feel I could go. I have recently got a degree from the Open University, and since I was a single parent on a low income, was able to get financial help to achieve it. Definitely worth young mummies looking into!"
Mims

"Check out which colleges offer on-site childcare at a discount for full-time students."
Hayley

"It really helps if you have an understanding tutor at college. Towards the end of my pregnancy my tutor let me go into college only when I was feeling up to it. When I left college to go on maternity leave my tutor sent my work home."
Leanne

"My daughter was born half way through my final semester of university. I took two weeks off after the birth and then went back to lectures. It helped that my course (BA in English Literature) didn't involve that much contact time, and that I have a very supportive partner, who was a student himself."
Ellie

"The main thing that helped me through it was being very disciplined. If my baby was napping I had to really get down to work on essays. I didn't waste any time! It was really hard being apart from her when she was so young, even for a couple of hours, but I'm very glad I did it. I'm not sure I'd have gone back to university if I'd taken a break from my studies."
Rachel

"I've continued my education by doing a degree through the Open University. It's a part-time course and takes six years, but a lot of it you do at home."
Poppy

"My biggest tip would be to design a rota of how you do everything and the time you do it. And keep yourself motivated. It helps me if I think that I'm bettering my future for me and my son and it challenges my mind. Choosing to do something I'm really interested in and the line of work I want to follow gives me the motivation to continue."
Steph

"I'm going back to uni after taking a term out to have my daughter. She will be going to nursery while I study. She goes to her dad's every other weekend so I have plenty of studying time. I imagine it will be hard, but worth it in the end. Anything for a better future for me and my baby."
Adrienne

Last reviewed: October 2010

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